Lucia Sous Justin Holt’s Massively Popular Ramen Pop-Up Returns

You can generally find Chef Justin Holt inside the tiny kitchen at beloved Oak Cliff Italian stalwart Lucia, but occasionally, you’ll find the chef serving up some of the city’s best bowls of ramen at his late-night pop-ups. They’ve been gone for a while, but Holt plans to bring back — and expand on — his massively popular one night noodle stands this weekend.

Announced via release, Holt will host the first late-night pop-up ramen & curry shop of 2017 at Whitehall Exchange at 500 N. Bishop Ave. This time, Holt will serve up tori paitan ramen, made with alkaline noodles in chicken-based broth and topped with pork chashu, marinated bamboo shoots, and soft-boiled egg.

He’s flirted with yakitori before, but this time Holt will bring Japanese-style Battleship curry to his pop-up dinners, a dish that proved massively popular the last time it was on the menu. “It’s a comfort food for me,” said Holt in a statement. “I like that this one simple dish can have so many variations that are truly unique to the creator. The last time I served Battleship Curry at a pop-up it sold out in 15 minutes.”

The festivities kick off at White Hall at 6 p.m. on January 7, which is a little confusing considering the “late-night” moniker. Bring cash for $10 bowls of ramen and $5 bowls of curry, and prepare to show up early — the lines quickly form at these pop-up dinners.